French · Real conversations
How to respond to “Qu'est-ce que tu fais comme travail ?” in French
A work question can be answered with a role, current study, a job search, or a polite change of topic.
What you might hear
Qu'est-ce que tu fais comme travail ?
What do you do for work?
Choose a reply that fits
Je travaille comme professeur.
I work as a teacher.
Name a role without a long job description.
Je suis étudiant / étudiante.
I'm a student.
Use when studying is your current activity.
Je cherche du travail.
I'm looking for work.
Describe your current situation if you want to.
Je préférerais ne pas parler du travail maintenant.
I'd rather not discuss work right now.
Set a boundary without inventing a job.
Two short exchanges
Meeting a new person
Qu'est-ce que tu fais comme travail ?
What do you do for work?
Je travaille comme professeur.
I work as a teacher.
A casual work question
Quel genre de travail fais-tu ?
What kind of work do you do?
Je suis étudiant / étudiante.
I'm a student.
Your turn
Give a short honest answer about looking for work.
Reveal a sample reply
Je cherche du travail.
I'm looking for work.
This response guide in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
